Britain - The Official Thread

[PzR Slim]

Over reaction to the snow is incredible. Driving to work this morning on dual carriageway passing people in Range Rovers doing 10 mph whilst I, in my 2WD X-Trail, was happily driving at 40 mph with no issue.

We used to be a nation who got stuff done and could meet any challenge. We've had it that easy for that long that the hint of anything out of the ordinary and large numbers of the population go to ****.

 

[Moglet]

Over reaction to the snow is incredible. Driving to work this morning on dual carriageway passing people in Range Rovers doing 10 mph whilst I, in my 2WD X-Trail, was happily driving at 40 mph with no issue.

We used to be a nation who got stuff done and could meet any challenge. We've had it that easy for that long that the hint of anything out of the ordinary and large numbers of the population go to ****.

I live out in the Fens and we get a lot of farmers round here driving big pick up trucks with snow tyres on so I have the opposite problem; they drive like nutters It's really coming down in Cambridge now, the drive home should be interesting.

 

[Touring Mars]

To be fair, this is the worst snow I've seen in Glasgow and the red warning of snow hasn't even started yet...

 

[TenEightyOne]

We used to be a nation who got stuff done and could meet any challenge.

Not really, it's just that believing we were is part of the national culture.

 

[PzR Slim]

Not really, it's just that believing we were is part of the national culture.

Apart from all the stuff we got done obviously.

 

[DK]

The last time I saw this much snow, I was discovering the wonders of Sternburg on a weekend trip in Berlin.

 

[PeterJB]

We get snow every year, I still don't get why it's such an issue.

 

[Dennisch]

 

[ExigeEvan]

To be fair, this is the worst snow I've seen in Glasgow and the red warning of snow hasn't even started yet...

Yeah it's all a bit early to complain it's overblown. Schools are shut here today and tomorrow because the amber snow alert is active from 1200 today through to Friday morning.

 

[Dave A]

It's not quite the apocalypse but it's caused quite a few accidents where I live. In particular there's a road that goes down a hill right off the main road that wasn't gritted until yesterday, on Tuesday cars were just sliding down the hill into each other. It happened to a guy at work, he caught it on his dash cam and several cars infront of him crashed before he slid into a van. Not much he could have done to stop it from the video.

The problem here, and every year people say "how do they cope in Swedenetc." is we don't have the infrastructure to deal with snow. We do get snow every year, but it lasts what, anything from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, and when it a couple of weeks it's rarely consecutive days. Because it's such a small fraction of the year, it's not worth investing in the infrastructure to deal with it effectively. Rural places will do more to cope than built up areas, but it's nothing compared to the lengths they go to in other countries where they get snow for much longer periods in the year.

 

[Robin]

It really is starting to look as bad as predicted now, particularly in the North East. The Midlands and the West hasn't had the worst hit yet but it's coming

The winter of 2010/11 had lower prolonged temperatures but it's the speed at which this change in weather has rolled in coupled with strong winds that has made it deadly.

As has been said we don't have the infrastructure to deal with this, and for example, very few people own snow tires or snow chains.

 

[MatskiMonk]

My house was 4° indoors this morning I really am that tight with money

 

[Moglet]

Driving to work this morning there are areas where the snow has blown across the road, but it's mostly clear. There was a guy in a Discovery going at about 20mph on roads that the Cactus had no problem with at 45mph. I can understand slowing down for the snow drifts (even though they turned out to be fine) but doing 20mph everywhere on roads that have actually dried out in the sun from yesterday? Come on....

 

[mthomas_95]

I think here and everywhere else north of Glasgow has suddenly been moved to Canada/Siberia overnight

 

[Liquid]

By contrast in Bratislava it's been -11 but -17 with wind chill yet there hasn't been any snow. The existing ground moisture is frozen over, sure, but the skies are quite clear and sunny.

And I've just spent two weeks in Wales and the moment I leave it starts hammering down with snow. Gutted.

 

[Famine]

It really is starting to look as bad as predicted now, particularly in the North East.

We have an inch of snow inside our extension. We cleaned four inches of snow off just the skylights yesterday, and now you can't see the holes any more - the snow has filled them in to the same levels. The cat is no longer scared of the dog, or if she is, she's more scared of the outside world. And, of course, the schools are closed, so we have had our insane 6-year old at home since 3.30pm on Tuesday.

And I haven't yet properly photographed the press car I got on Friday which is trying to deliver 245hp to the front wheels, and has a tyre that I'd have probably changed for summer driving.


It's the end of the world.

 

[Moglet]

We have an inch of snow inside our extension.

You can't just post this and not elaborate! Is it part finished or something?

 

[Famine]

You can't just post this and not elaborate! Is it part finished or something?

It doesn't have a door or windows. It has a very nice roof, but even so the wind has ensured that this 5-metre x 3-metre box has an even inch of snow across the whole floor, right up to the existing exterior house wall.

 

[Robin]

It's the end of the world.

I want pictures

 

[Famine]

I want pictures

They've postponed World Book Day. I mean, it doesn't get more serious than that. Also, I'm not sure calendars work like that.

 

[Robin]

They've postponed World Book Day. I mean, it doesn't get more serious than that. Also, I'm not sure calendars work like that.

We are going to have to burn all the books to stay warm, day after tomorrow style.

 

[Liquid]

They've postponed World Book Day. I mean, it doesn't get more serious than that. Also, I'm not sure calendars work like that.

Plenty of places have cancelled their St David's Day parade.

 

[PeterJB]

College is closed today and tomorrow, the St David's Day brass band concert this evening's been cancelled to.

But Ladbrokes is open for business! So I still have to go to work tonight.

 

[TenEightyOne]

The NI terror threat-to-Britain rating has been lowered. This may be due to everbody keeping an eye on where the DUP are nowadays or because the Provos can't get through the snow so.

 

[DK]

Now I've got a mental image of Gerry Adams (yeah, I know he's not a Provo) making snow angels.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Considering I'm only a few miles outside the South Wales Red alert area it's not very snowy right now. Windy, but not much snow.

Ah well, got sent home as soon as the Red alert was announced and schools are shut to.

 

[Liquid]

The NI terror threat-to-Britain rating has been lowered. This may be due to everbody keeping an eye on where the DUP are nowadays or because the Provos can't get through the snow so.

In unrelated news the DUP coffers have been credited with a humongous cheque, so they have.

 

[PzR Slim]

They've postponed World Book Day. I mean, it doesn't get more serious than that. Also, I'm not sure calendars work like that.

My daughter is devastated by this. She has two days off to school to play in the snow but is upset because she doesn't get to wear her costume!

 

[PeterJB]

Work closed early so I took a nice walk through Bute Park in the afternoon, the snow's three or four inches thick in Cardiff now, everything's shut.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Went to work ok in Wrexham.....but we have had a blizzard here for last few hours and it quite bad now, don't know if I can get to work tomorrow.